1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the use electron spin resonance (ESR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for high throughput catalyst screening assays. Catalysts may comprise individual members of a catalyst library. Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to the screening of members of an array of micro-reactors.
2. State of the Art
High throughput screening of catalysts presents tremendous opportunities to rapidly develop more efficient catalysts for a vast variety of catalytic reactions in the chemical industries, pharmaceutical industries, and bio-medical industries. Currently, infrared spectroscopy (IR), mass spectroscopy (MS), and gas chromatography (GC) in combination with micro-reactors or library assays have been developed for this purpose.
ESR spectroscopy has proven to be very useful for characterizing radical reactions. Most catalytic reactions involve intermediate radical reactions. Due to un-paired electrons present during radical reactions, electron spin resonance of those un-paired electrons give rise to intrinsic and rich information about catalytic reactions, such as reaction site, rate and detailed mechanism. In the past, however, ESR technology would only allow for the measurement of large amounts of samples, materials, or specimens, and only in a specific environment. What is needed is a high throughput screening assay capable of handling large numbers of specimens and samples in small quantities. To the inventors' knowledge, such an assay has not heretofore been possible, nor have any solutions to the problem even been proposed.
Such needed techniques are contemplated by the present inventors to encompass both ESR and NMR technologies.